Shifts on the summit of Mt Wellington

Mt Wellington towers over Hobart, sometimes tame.

Indeed, from the sunny city this morning, it looks green and benign, albeit with an oval white meringue of cloud above it.

But after a hairpin ride up the mountains through temperate rainforest and into alpine flora, it’s clear kunanyi/Mt Wellington, close-up, is another matter.

I’ve already noticed the clearly substantial red emergency kit, in a small holdall, in the coach, and driver Tony, an experienced Tassie mountain man, issues warnings about the speed with which the weather can change up here.

Passengers in the know start togging up, pulling hoods tight around their faces.

It’s still sunny, but blowing very briskly.

People step out and get swept up in it.

While visitors can drive up the mountain, I think the kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus service is the way to go.

It is $50 for the 2½-hour return trip ($45 concession) and you can return on a later shuttle bus, or from a different stop. So you could go to the top and walk, and come back later, or walk down to another stop to be picked up by another bus.

And for those who want to walk all the way back to Hobart, there’s a $35 ($30 concession) fare.

The new and spotlessly clean bus has free wi-fi, and there are good views and a commentary during the 23km drive to kunanyi/Mt Wellington’s pinnacle.

Tony talks about the hydro-electricity that largely powers Tasmania. (In fact, Hydro Tasmania supplied more than three-quarters of the State’s electricity in 2023-24.

We stop to take pictures of the remains of a glacier — a tumble of almost equally sized rocks stranded in a ribbon through the alpine landscape.

Tony points out the starting points for some of the walks, like Organ Pipes. The rocks there not only look like the pipes of an organ, but can sound like it sometimes when the wind rips through.

There are five bus stops on the mountain, and a timetable of pick-up times. Bicycles can also be booked and taken, as the bus has a bike carrier on the back.

But for now, I’m happy with the blast of wind on the summit, the view down to Hobart and beyond, along the Derwent River.

There are safe walkways to key viewing points, and an indoor viewing room, which also has information on the sights that can be seen.

But I’m outside, squinting in the wind.

Loving it.

mtwellingtonexplorer.com.au

some of

THE WALKS

There are more than 40 walking tracks on kunanyi/Mt Wellington, to fern gullies, eucalypt forests, waterfalls, and rocky outcrops. They include…

Sphinx Rock Circuit

The 3.5km Sphinx Rock and Octopus Tree loop on kunanyi/Mt Wellington starts at The Springs, and is a moderate two-hour walk with views.

Open seven days, 8am-4pm in summer, and 9am-4pm in winter.

Organ Pipes

Allow three hours for this popular, moderate 7.4km return hike. It starts at The Springs and passes big Jurassic dolerite cliffs, with views over Hobart and the Derwent. There are some rocky parts, but it is suitable for most fitness levels.

Big Bend

A moderate 45-minute return walk along the Lost World Track to the dolerite cliffs of Mt Arthur and an expansive boulder field. There are views over Hobart.

The Springs

This is a lower starting point, at 720m above sea level, and you can start or finish with refreshments at Lost Freight Cafe. The Lookout Circuit is a 15-minute circuit and easy (residents say the view is better if you walk anti-clockwise). The Lenah Valley Track to Sphinx Rock is a 45-minute return walk, with views of the Organ Pipes. It is rated as an easy walk, through eucalypt forest.

+ wellingtonpark.org.au/bushwalking-1